Supporting bracket for venetian blind tilt rods



a w. mm T 0 m H M Q V u 6 a w k 2 W w E M/ Y B Dec. 2, 1952 M c RUTLEDGESUPPORTING BRACKET FOR VENETIAN BLIND TILT RODS Filed Dec. 3. 1951Patented Dec. 2, 1952 SUPPORTING BRACKET FOR VENETIAN BLIND TILT RODSMelvin C. Rutledge, Riverside, Calif., assignor to Hunter DouglasCorporation, Riverside, Calif., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationDecember 3, 1951, Serial No. 259,668

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to Venetian blinds and moreparticularly to blinds employing a channel-shaped headrail with rollededges which carries a tilt rod for supporting and tilting the blind.

The major object of the invention herein disclosed is to provide meansfor facilitating the rapid assembly and dis-assembly of a tilt rod andreadrail without special tools or equipment. This object is accomplishedgenerally by providing a tilt rod supporting bracket which isfrictionally heldbetween spaced opposed portions of a channel-shapedheadrail and has an unobstructed bearing portion permitting the tilt rodto be placed therein and subsequently confined by adjustment of aretaining member to permit free oscillation of the tilt rod in itsbearing but preventing inadvertent removal thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide bracket means of the typedescribed which can be formed as a one-piece stamping from metal sheetmaterial, thereby obviating any assembly operations in the constructionof the bracket. While stamping is the presently preferred method offorming the bracket, it will be understood of course that it can bemolded or otherwise formed of any suitable material which provides therequisite strength and resilience.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a tilt rod supportingbracket which has the ability to hold itself in operative position onthe headrail without additional retaining or securing means.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a bracket havingthe foregoing qualities and characteristics, which can be manufacturedcheaply and rapidly as a mass production item, and which therefore canbe sold at a very low price.

These and othg objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective utility viewshowing a channel-shaped headrail with a portion cut away to show thebracket and a tilt rod. installed in place;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view showing the headrail in section and thebracket in elevation at the start of the installing operation;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showin the bracket fully installed;and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bracket showing in phantom lines thealternate position of the tilt rod retaining tab.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, thenumeral It! indicates a channel-shaped headrail having a bottom wall I Iand side walls I 2 and I3, the upper edges of the side walls beingrolled inwardly as indicated at M, and I5 respectively. In the presentlypre ferred form, the headrail is formed of aluminum and is of course ofa length corresponding to the width of the Venetian blind to beinstalled. It will be understood that the headrail is supported bysuitable brackets or other supporting means (not shown) adjacent thewindow, doorway'or other aperture to be covered.

A tilt rod [6 of generally square cross-section, preferably with beveledcorners is supported in a substantially central position longitudinallyof the headrail to receive tape-holding rolls or other means forsupporting and operating the Venetian blind tapes. Since these latteritems form no part of the invention, they are omitted from the drawing.

As seen best in Fig. 4, the tilt rod supporting bracket indicatedgenerally by the numeral 20, is right-angular in shape, beingsubstantially L-shaped in horizontal cross-section, the short side ofthe L comprising a vertically extending attaching plate or base member2| from which a supporting arm 22 in plate form extends normallythereto. The base member 2| is adapted to engage and lie against theinner face of one of the side walls of the headrail with the lower andupper ends of the base member, 23, 24, respectively, wedged between thebottom of the headrail adjacent the side wall and the opposed upperrolled edge, as seen best in Fig. 3. For this purpose, the lower endportion 23 and the upper end portion 24 of the base 2| are preferablybent inwardly and the overall length of the base 2| is such that theresilience of the end portions 23 and 24 will cause the bracket to wedgesecurely between the bottom wall II and the rolled edge I l. Theangularity of the lower end 23 is such that it tends to bite into thebottom wall llto thereby assist in holding the bracket in place. Theangularity of the upper end portion 24 is such that it can beconveniently inserted under the rolled edge l4 and will wedge securelyagainst the upper inner face thereof when the base 2! is pushedlaterally against the wall l2.

The tilt rod-supporting arm 22 is preferably in the form of a plateproviding a cantilever beam with increased vertical cross-sectiontowards: the base member for maximum supporting strength, and isprovided at its outer end with a semi-circular notch having a flattenedface to provide a 3 bearing 25 for the tilt rod. A movable tab 26, whichcan conveniently be in the form of a rectangular plate formed from thebracket blank by stamping, is joined to the upper edge of the arm plate22 by a relatively narrow neck section 21, which because of theductility of the material used, permits bending at the neck section toallow the tab to be swung from its inoperative position shown in fulllines in Fig. 4 to the operative position shown in phantom line in saidfigure, i. e., the

tab can be swung from a position in the vertical plane of the arm 22 toa position normal to said plane. It will be noted that the tab is spacedabove the bearing 25 sufficiently to permit free rotation or oscillationof the tilt rod l6 mounted in the bearing but at the same time closeenough thereto so that the rod cannot be removed vertically withoutmoving the tab to its inoperative position.

As a further means of insuring adequate contact and engagement betweenthe base member 2] .and the rolled edge M ,of the headrail, an instruckfinger 28 may be provided in the upper portion ofthe base 2 l the fingersloping inwardly and downwardly at a slight angle toward the base. Theproportions of the members are such that when the :base 2| is finallyseated in its assembled operative position against the side wall l2, thefinger28 resiliently bears against and cooperates with the resilientrolled edge of the headrail. For additional stiffening of the bracket,the angular corner thereof may be'dimpled as indicated by the numeral29.

"The bracket 20 is initially in the condition shown in solid lines inFigs. 2 and 4, with the tab 26 bent-at right angles to the arm plate 22.The bracket isassembled into the headrail H] in the man-nershown in Fig.'2; the upper end portion 24 of the base being inserted upwardly intothe gap between the edge of the rolled portion l4 and the wall I2 toengage the inside surface of the roll, While the lower end 23 of thebase rests against the bottom Wall H 'of the headrail. The bracket isthen pressed back against the wall l2, as indicated by the arrow in Fig.2, causing the bent upper and lower end portions 24 and 23 to spring, orflex, permitting the bracket to assume the vertical position shown inFig. 3 with the upper end 24 in firm enga'gement with and exertingresilient pressure against the edge roll I4 and with the lower end 23resiliently and frictionally engaging the h-eadrail base H. Asmentioned, the lower end portion 23 has a relatively sharp edge whichwill dig slightly into the headrail base II, but not enough. to preventready removal of the bracket when the same is pried out by a screwdriver or the like. The 'tilt rod I6 is then dropped into place onthebearing .25, after which the tab 26 is'bent out straight to the positionshown in Fig..3,thereby confining the rod I6 from above to preventvertical removal thereof from the bearing 25.

While the presently preferred form of the .in-

4 vention shown herein is fully capable of attaining the objects andproviding the advantages hereinbefore stated, it will be understood thatmodifications and variations may be made within the scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tilt rod supporting bracket for use with a channel-shaped Venetianblind head rail havin a; bottom and upwardly turned side walls, saidside walls being rolled inwardly along their top edges, said bracketcomprising a vertical base disposed tolie flat against one of said sidewalls, said base having a resilient, inwardly inclined end portion atthe lower extremity thereof, the top end portion of saidbase projectingup into the rolled edge of said one side wall, and the bottom endportion bearing against the bottom of said head rail, said base having avertical dimension slightly greater than the inside dimension of saidhead rail from the bottom to the inside surface of the edge roll, sothat said resilient lower end portion is elastically bent when the basemember .-is pressed back against said one side wall, causing said lowerend portion to bite into the inner surface of the head-rail to wedgesaid bracket tightly in place, and an arm extending out from said basetoward the center of said head rail, said arm having a bearing portionto receive a tilt rod.

2. .A tilt rod supporting bracket for use'with a channel-shaped Venetian:blind head rail having a bottom and upwardly turned sidewalls, saidside Walls being rolled inwardly along their top edges, said bracketcomprising a vertical'base disposed to lie flat against one of said sidewalls, said base having resilient, inwardly inclined end portionsat thetop and bottom extremities thereof, the top end portion being engageablein the rolled edge of said'one side wall, and the bottom :end portionbearing'against the bottom of said headrail, said base having a-verticaldimension slightly greater than the inside dimension of said head railfrom .the bottom to the inside surface'of the-edgerolls, s that saidresilient inclined end portions are elastically bent when the basemember is pressed back against said one side wall, causing said endportions to bite into the inner surface of the head rail to wedge saidbracket tightly in place, and bearing means attached to saidbaseforrotatably supporting a tilt rod.

MELVIN C. RUTLEDGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,247,321 Stuber June 24, 19412,455,135 Nelson Nov. 30, 1948 2,494,858 Burns Jan. 1'7, .1950 2,534,080Stuber Dec. 12), 1950

